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UIII holds inaugural graduation ceremony
The Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII) held its inaugural graduation ceremony on Aug. 31 to celebrate the graduation of its 72 students from various master's programs, the first batch to ever graduate from the university.
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Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII) rector Komaruddin Hidayat (center) hands a diploma on Aug. 31, 2023, to Samiullah Adel (left), a 33-year-old master's degree graduate from Afghanistan, during the university's inaugural graduation ceremony in Depok West Java. (Handout/Courtesy of UIII)
T
he Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII) held its first graduation ceremony on Thursday to celebrate the achievements of its first batch of students.
All 72 students achieved master’s degrees and 25 of them graduated from the Faculty of Islamic Studies. There were also students from the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Economics and Businesses.
They came from 13 countries in Asia and Africa including Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, Afghanistan, Algeria and Cameroon.
Former Indonesian vice president Jusuf Kalla, who is the chairman of the UIII board of trustees, congratulated the graduates and called them pioneers of the university, which aims to not only improve the quality of Islamic education, but also show how Islam and Indonesia can coexist peacefully.
“People with an interest in studying the religion often go to the Middle East or even the United States, but Indonesia also has an amazing source of knowledge [about Islam],” Kalla said during his speech at the Thursday ceremony.
Read also: Discourse: UIII aspires to present Indonesia’s Islam to the world
UIII rector Komaruddin Hidayat said the university was designed to showcase the richness of Indonesian Islam, which is in harmony with many aspects of life, from politics to economics.
The students, he added, were trained early to foster a habit of writing, researching and presenting their ideas through open discussion, and these teaching techniques continued until their graduation.
“Some of the students don’t yet to have a strong habit of writing, researching and engaging in open dialogue in their places of origin,” Komaruddin said in a press briefing after the ceremony, “so we teach them to be tolerant and respect differences.”
The university started its first academic year in September 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 98 students from a pool of over 1,000 applicants from 59 countries. All students studied under scholarships.
The UIII is part of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration’s national strategic project, aimed at promoting Indonesia’s version of Islam. At least Rp 700 billion (US$45.9 million) was allocated to kickstart the construction of the university campus in Depok, West Java in 2018.
